A sleazy gem of a giallo movie, directed by the underrated Italian director Sergio Martino, in which the camera ogles the curves of the (often naked) female cast at every opportunity. This is said to be one of the main films (along with A BAY OF BLOOD) that influenced Friday the 13th and the American slashers of the 1980s, and some scenes are very similar - namely the nubile half-naked young woman being stalked through the woods by a masked villain scene, or the various graphic murders that said mystery killer commits. Certainly the gore fan gets his money's worth here, with numerous strangulations, drownings, the killer gouging out the eyes of the corpses and slitting their bodies open, and, in a gruesome highlight, sawing through the limbs of a victim with a hacksaw whilst Suzy Kendall watches in sheer terror and disgust. This is pretty hard to see in its fully uncut version (only in Italy was it released as such) but whichever version you do see is bound to be a pretty gruelling experience.Martino directs a stylish and well-filmed movie which makes good use of the picturesque Italian countryside. Martino (along with screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi) plays up the whodunit aspect of the plot whilst playing down the police investigation - the latter half of the film takes place in an isolated mountaintop location with only the girls, the killer, the milkman and a Peeping Tom handyman for company. The score helps add to the atmosphere a lot and familiar and veteran faces round out the cast. First up is pretty victim Suzy Kendall, who engages in a suspenseful cat-and-mouse chase whilst hampered with a sprained ankle; John Richardson as kindly college professor Franz; and Luc Merenda as a friendly doctor. The list of suspects is endless and the movie keeps you guessing right through until the drawn-out finale.TORSO has many familiar giallo ingredients. There's the killer with a creepy mask (this time a balaclava) and black gloves who kills with a nasty weapon; the twisted blackmail plot that serves as a basis for the murders; and, of course, a perverted childhood incident which has resulted in the warped mind of the killer ("they were only dolls, stupid dolls made out of flesh and blood"). There's also an unexpected but nice little macho bust-up between hero and villain at the end of the movie which serves as a bonus for this action lover. On top of this, large doses of sex, cheesy dialogue in the dubbed version, violence, and suspense make this a worthwhile thriller.

"Torso" focuses on the student body at the University of Rome which is under siege by a masked sex maniac who is strangling young coeds. American-abroad Jane (Suzy Kendall) leaves with her friends to a cliffside manor located in a villa outside the city for the weekend, but unfortunately for her and her friends, the killer is on their trail.While the plot to "Torso" is fairly substandard on paper, Sergio Martino's 1973 thriller is anything but. Although fairly "slow" by slasher standards, as a giallo film, it maintains a steady pace throughout, but the real fun begins when the girls arrive to the cliffside retreat. What could turn into a fairly by-the-numbers horror film at that point subverts expectations, resulting in a nail-biting finale with Jane hiding in the house while the killer resumes business as usual, limb by limb.Giancarlo Ferrando's cinematography in the film is elegant at showcasing both the city life and countryside of Italy, but is even more effective in molding an ominous mood. The presentation of the ski-masked villain is particularly menacing, accentuated by wide shots that lend the film a certain sort of tension; amidst several wide shots showcasing the land and city, there is a sense that the killer could be lurking anywhere in the frames. Throw in some above average acting (especially from Kendall), a bit of gratuitous nudity, some vicious murder scenes, and an unexpected ending, and you've got a pretty decent thriller here. The slowburn approach that the film takes may require some patience, but the atmosphere of the film and its third act really make it shine. Favorite scene? When the woman wandering in the woods is approached and murdered by the killer. The wide shot of him descending upon her among the misty trees is enough to make anyone's blood chill. 7/10.

This deceptively-titled early giallo who-dunnit plays out as a pretty rote affair until a surprisingly tense and harrowing third act elevates the end result. While there's nothing here to make Torso a certified classic, for at least 20 minutes it succeeds as a truly intense thriller. Unfortunately, this momentum is negated during the climax, which erupts into a karate showdown (yes, I'm completely serious).Perhaps I'm just jaded from watching too many of these movies, but I guessed who the killer was the first time I saw them, so the reveal sort of seemed like a "let's get it over with" moment. The explanation for the several murders we see committed throughout the course of the film is a flimsy back-story at best, and since we seem to be promised a dramatic unmasking after our investment in the plot and the few macabre flashback images we're shown along the way, the ultimate trigger for the bloodshed is bound to be a disappointment. The final twist is partially effective, however, since it brings us full circle with the opening scene of the film.One of the key components of this film is best summed up by a particularly perceptive extra: "Look at all those knockers." When the first shot in the film is of a woman revealing her breasts, and the ensuing scene is a fairly graphic threesome, it's immediately made clear that director Sergio Martino isn't primarily interested in presenting a horror outing. The cast is populated by several attractive actresses, and nearly all of them shed their clothes freely to frolic in the water and explore carnal activities, sometimes with each other. The abundance of nudity in Torso is beyond gratuitous, and while most male viewers aren't likely to complain about this, I can more wholeheartedly recommend a different genre for those whose enjoyment of this film is dependent on the ample displays of bared female flesh.When Dario Argento basically took over and mandated the rules of the giallo film, fast-paced progressive rock became the norm in these kinds of offerings. However, the score in Torso is much more subdued and traditional, and the music augments the horror aspects of the film quite well. The early-70's soft-core porn themes that accompany the diversionary nude scenes haven't aged nearly as gracefully though.Despite the fact that this film was reportedly heavily censored in the U.S. until its DVD debut, there is actually relatively little graphic violence in Torso. Only a couple of scenes will even raise the eyebrows of devoted gore-o-philes, and if you've seen any Lucio Fulci film, the rather subdued splatter on display her seems quaint by comparison. Even during the most savage scenes, the effects are clunky and unimpressive, and it's never hard to spot the shots where a plastic dummy has been substituted for the actor. There is a solidly unsettling dismemberment sequence that is mostly played off-camera, which allows us to fill in the blanks and ends up being one of the more grisly moments in the film. But overall, Torso is ultimately rather tepid, and nothing in the movie makes good on the gruesome promise implied by the title.The killings alternate between fairly suspenseful scenes with a decent build-up to ludicrously obvious set-ups in which characters get stoned and wander into a swamp all alone. Torso never quite finds the sweet spot, and the film is enjoyable more for its ambiance and historical value than it is for presenting a coherent and challenging murder mystery.Discerning horror fans have certainly seen a lot worse than this, but nothing in Torso reaches too far beyond the standard masked killer fare the plot dictates. Still, the last reel has some fantastic moments, and the film does try its hardest to insert some red herrings along the way. If that sounds appealing to you, you will most assuredly find a modestly entertaining outing here. But since the running time of Torso could more reasonably be spent watching Tenebrae again, I can't help but conclude that this isn't mandatory viewing by any means.

Sergio Martino made a lots of movies but he is going to be remember by his contribution with the Italian genre called Giallo. Also he discovered the beautiful Edwene Fenech and worked with great actors like Alberto De Mendoza, Ivan Rassimov and Geroge Hilton.Sadly none of them are in this movie but that's not a bad thing. The production lead was Carlo Ponti the husband of Sofia Loren. And the cast has a couple of international stars. Well in fact only Tina Aumont was the real international star. Suzy Kendall work because she was for her role in the bird with crystal plumage.In a roman university a killer stalks and chopped the eyes of really beautiful girls. Daniela (Tina Aumont) see the killer but she can recognize him or think is a boy called Stefano who is in love with her. She goes with two friends of vacations but the killer follow her. Suzy Kendal play's Daniela best friend who arrive later at Daniela's house.Now i wont give you the surprises but this film has a lot. The last forty minutes of the film are incredible and it was stolen in so many movies but without the same result. That show you how good was Martino directing. The movies is not very gory and the special effects are cheesy but that doesn't matter because the director show a lot of respect to the material and you can see he was having a good time The leads are quite funny in particular Tina Aumont and Suzy Kendall.Many people say this a proto slasher well in part i true. In fact is an slasher but not the first one. Mario Bava was doing to yeas before the first slasher Bay of blood. Still this movies has great scenes of suspense, Great camera-work and know how to play very wellHighly recommended